Stay
by Sailor J-chanDuoxHilde 4ever
Summary: A day in the life of Wufei and Nataku. An argument leads them to work themseleves out civilly, making Nataku wonder if there is any love in this marriage. She finds out in the worst possible way. Songfic to "Stay" by Lisa Loeb. RR!


Disclaimer-I don't own Gundam Wing or the song

Stay

Nataku stomped out of the house, slamming the door behind her. Angrily, she yanked on her hair and bit her lip.

"For God's sake, Wufei!" she shouted into the air. "Would it kill you to let it go for once!"

"Yes, it would!" Wufei called from inside.

"Oh my God, if you aren't the most annoying, hard-headed person I've ever met…" Nataku grumbled to herself.

"The pot's calling the kettle black." (A/N: That's the dumbest saying ever, but it basically means that you're calling someone else what you are yourself. Like Hitler calling Satan evil or something like that. It has no basis whatsoever in racism, if that's what you're thinking) Wufei stepped out of the house. "When are you going to learn that you're not going to convince me that justice exists? Look, just look at the so-called justice that killed my parents and yours!"

Nataku stiffened. She didn't like being reminded of the horrible night that had made her an orphan and her grandfather's ward.

"That's not true justice!" she shouted back at him.

"Yeah? Well, it's a pretty good imitation of it!"

"Ugh! Oh my God…ugh!" Nataku picked up a rock in the road and threw it at him, then turned and stomped away.

__

You say I only hear what I want to

You say I talk so all the time, so

And I thought what I felt was simple

And I thought that I don't belong

And now that I am leaving

Nataku walked up the steps to their house. It was dark, with artificial stars lighting up the colony sky.

She opened the door and shut it as she walked in.

"I'm back," she called.

"Took you long enough."

"I was training."

"For justice again?" This time, he sounded amused.

"No, to get my anger out," she said, her temper flaring. "If you want, I can take it out on you this time."

He laughed. "No, I think the rock did that for you."

"Did it hit you?"

"No. I dodged it."

"Well…good."

__

Now I know that I did something wrong

'Cause I missed you

Yeah, I missed you

"What's that? You're sorry?" Wufei asked.

"Don't get your hopes up. I just don't want to be sued for spouse abuse."

"Well, maybe we should seek divorce. Then we can abuse each other all we like."

"Don't be silly. We wouldn't be allowed to. Not until we have kids. You know how stupid they are about their heirs and stuff."

"Yeah, it's ridiculous. I don't recall hearing about our parents having arranged marriages." Wufei sat down at the table. 

Nataku sat across from him and began playing with her hair. "Well, they shouldn't expect anything outta me. I don't plan on having your babies."

"I don't plan on making them."

"So…I guess we're mutual, then."

A few moments of silence passed, and then Nataku cleared her throat lightly and twirled her hair around her finger.

"I always wanted babies, though. A girl…and a boy. It's good for siblings to be different genders. It teaches them tolerance. None of this "Boys are better than girls" for my kids."

Wufei laughed. "I don't doubt that you're just as strong physically, but I still think you're weaker. Your hearts are too soft."

"I wouldn't have any problem proving you wrong, you know," Nataku said devilishly.

"Not now. I don't feel like beating you down right now."

Nataku stuck out her tongue. It was a childish gesture but it was all she wanted to do.

A few more moments of silence passed before she spoke again.

"Wufei, do you realize that this is the first time we've ever talked without it turning into a shouting match or a fight?"

"The thought crossed my mind, yes."

"It's…it's kinda nice, isn't it?"

Wufei suddenly sounded angry, angry at her, angry at himself. "Don't read too much into it, OK?! Just forget about it. Don't turn this into some kind of bonding, all right?!"

"Oh, my God, Wufei!" Nataku stood up. "We're married! It would be nice for once if we had a normal talk!"

Wufei got up. "Enough of this. I'm outta here."

"Oh, no, you're not!" Nataku ran around the table and grabbed him, pushing him down in the chair. "You are going to stay right here. I'm going to make dinner and we are going to have a pleasant conversation for once in our miserable excuse of a marriage. If you leave this table I will lock you out of the house. Got it?"

"For God's sake, Meilan…"

"You're staying and that's that! And for the last time, my name is Nataku!"

__

And you say I only hear what I want to

I don't listen hard

I don't pay attention to the distance that you're running

Or to anyone anywhere

Nataku kept her anger under control. "So…How was your day?"

"Well, the morning was…I won't get into that. After you left it was…dull. Studied for awhile in the field."

"Well, for me, there was no one at the dojo, so I kicked around a punching bag for a while until my grandfather showed up. I left before he could ask me about our marital problems." She laughed. "He sees everything."

"I know," Wufei said. "He's the wisest person I've ever known."

"Yet another thing we're mutual on." Nataku made a silly face. "See what happens when we decide not to fight?" she said in a goofy, crappy-motivational-speaker voice. "Ah!"

She suddenly stumbled a little onto the side of her foot. She caught herself on the counter and brought herself up.

"What's wrong?" Wufei asked. He sounded…concerned?

"It's nothing. I hurt my ankle when I was training…kicked too hard, I guess. The endorphins must be wearing off. Ow!" She suddenly winced. Her ankle was throbbing with pain.

"Let me see it." He got up and went over to her.

"Wufei, let go of my foot." She tried to tug her ankle out of his grip.

"Stop being so bullheaded."

"I could say the same to you," Nataku muttered, but stopped moving her foot.

"I don't think it's broken. Sprained, most likely." Wufei got up. "You'll have to live with it. The hospital shut down yesterday."

"Not enough money, right? There's never enough money." Nataku hobbled over to the table on her good foot and sat down. "It's just a matter of time before the Alliance decides to scrap us. They don't need a dead colony full of rebels."

"And let me guess. When they decide to attack us, you'll fight them with Talgeese."

(A/N: Yes, Talgeese. Read the Episode Zero manga. The Talgeese is at their colony in AC 194. It later gets blown up. I think the OZ people towed it in and rebuilt it)

"Yes."

"Stupid woman. You'll kill yourself."

"I can't justify a massacre. Besides, it'll strike a blow for our parents. And anyway, Wufei, why should you care if I get killed?"

Silence. Then… "Shut up, Meilan."

"It's Nataku."

__

I don't understand if you really care

I'm only hearing negative: no, no, no

So, I turned the radio up

I turned the radio on

And this woman was singing my song

Lover's in love and the other's run away

Lover is crying 'cause the other won't stay

"Wufei," Nataku said. "Can you please explain to me—civilly, this time—why you don't believe in justice?"

"When they killed our parents, do you remember what they said? 'The Alliance condemns them to death in the name of justice and peace'. If that's justice, I want no part of it."

"But that's not justice."

"Well, it's a good imitation of it. It's all fantasy anyway. I'd rather live on facts."

"So that's why you study all the time." Nataku twiddled her thumbs. "Wufei, why did you agree to marry me?"

"I figured that it didn't matter. It's not like anything was going to happen, anyway. Why should living together make any difference?"

Nataku looked at him for a long time.

"I feel sorry for you."

"I don't want your pity."

"Well, you're getting it. I pity you because you've lost love and then never had it again. That's the worst thing that can happen to anyone. I…I feel sorry that that happened to you."

He stared at her for a long time. Then he got up and disappeared down the hall.

__

Sometimes we hover 

When we're weeping for the other

Who's been dying since the day they were born

Nataku was suddenly jerked back to reality as Talgeese was thrown to the side.

She shook her head to clear her mind. How could she let her mind wander in battle like that? It was already difficult fighting in space, but she didn't want to harm the inhabitants or Wufei's field. She knew he found peace in the field and he didn't want to destroy it.

She wiped at the on her space helmet but to no avail. With horror, she realized that she had coughed up that blood.

Sweating, she tired to forget it as she took hold of the controls.

"C-Come on!" she yelled over the MS intercom. "I AM JUSTICE!"

__

Well this is not that

I think I am throwing but I'm thrown

And I thought I'd live forever

But now I'm not so sure

She aimed at another Oz suit and was about to fire when suddenly a flash of green plasma came down and destroyed it for her.

She recognized it. It was the Shenlong's Beam Glaive!

"W-Wufei…"

"Leave this to me!" he yelled, moving in front of her.

Instantly she could see him inside. Angry, indignant, seething with all those emotions bottled up inside. And perhaps even…maybe…worry for her.

"H-Hurry, go! A wife should listen to her husband!"

There! That was it! He did care about her, she knew it know. He would not have stumbled over his words if he wasn't shaking with concern for her safety. Let him deny it all he wanted, she knew the truth now.

"Okay," she said, slowly backing Talgeese away. And how he would deny it!

__

You try to tell me that I'm clever

But that won't get you anyhow, or anywhere with you

Nataku watched intently as an MS soared at Shenlong. She saw Wufei raise the Beam Glaive and she waited for the strike.

Nothing. The Glaive didn't extend.

'Oh my God, Shenlong ran out of energy!' she exclaimed in her mind. 'Wufei…' "He'll die," she finished, in words.

"Wufei dead.

Suddenly she felt cold at the thought of him lying in the cemetery. She a widow at fourteen, saying good-bye to the one man she loved.

Yes, loved! They'd been fooling themselves into thinking they hated each other because of their different opinions. They'd both been idiots, thinking they could never be anything more than enemies. They would've given up on each other the day of their wedding if they had felt nothing but animosity. But they'd kept trying. Sure, had pushed the hardest, but he could've backed out. He could've left her. But he didn't and she wouldn't leave him, and that meant that they loved each other.

Why, anyone who cared as much as she did about Wufei would throw herself at that MS and destroy it…

She stopped suddenly, and her breath became very light. She knew she was out of energy and the only thing to do to stop that MS was to destroy it bodily…with her still in her own suit.

"This is it, then," she said.

Pulling the accelerator control, she flung Talgeese at the OZ MS.

She felt nothing in the first second, but when the next rolled around she suddenly felt terrible pain. She felt herself being flung out the suit as it exploded, felt the flames through her suit, felt the metal as it rammed against her. Searing pain shot through her chest as she felt her ribs break. She thought she was dying and she welcomed death. Anything to get rid of this agony.

"Meilan!"

Her first reaction to anything but pain was hearing her name being called.

"Meilan!"

She suddenly felt mechanized hands grabbing her in mid-space. It could only be the Shenlong.

"Wufei…"

"Hang on, Meilan."

She smiled weakly and said, for old time's sake, "M-my name is Nataku."

She expected a crisp, short remark, but what he said surprised her.

"That's right. You ARE Nataku. I'll never call you Meilan again."

"G-give me some credit," she said. "I…protected your…meadow."

His reply was expected.

"You fool!"

"So…please…take me to that field of flowers…" If Wufei could find peace there, so could she.

__

You thought that I was naïve

And I thought that I was strong

And I thought, "Hey, I can leave, I can leave"

But now I know that I did something wrong

'Cause I missed you

In the safety of the colony Wufei unbuttoned her jacket and then picked her up. She leaned her head against his shoulder and sighed. It felt so good to finally be held by him, to know that he'd finally fallen in love with her.

She opened her eyes when he stopped. They were in the meadow.

"I-it's so beautiful," she said. "I've never looked at flowers…this way before."

He sat her down and then sat down beside her.

"Wufei."

"What?"

"I…was strong, wasn't I? I was worthy as your wife, right?" She felt an oncoming darkness, the final darkness, and before she succumbed to it she wanted to hear something from him.

"Yeah…You're strong. Stronger than anyone."

She breathed and let her head fall with her breath against his shoulder. 

"Hey, don't get too friendly."

She smiled lightly. She knew that at any other time he would've never told her that he thought her strong so she was glad she had gotten him this time.

__

You said "I caught you 'cause I want you

And one day I'll let you go"

You try to give away a keeper

Dark…It was so dark. No energy to open her eyes…no energy for her lungs to move…no energy accept the one keeping the smile on her face.

"Hey? Hey!"

Almost numb, she barely felt him grab her shoulders and whip her around.

"Open your eyes! You haven't accepted me as your husband yet!"

Her smile grew broader. That was it…that was the answer she wanted. She'd go, literally, to her grave knowing that he loved her.

__

Or keep 'cause you know you're just so scared to lose

"Nataku!"

Darkness suddenly exploded into white.

And then she was gone.

"NATAKU!!"

__

And you say "Stay"

And you say I only hear what I want to


End file.
